Hereford’s bid to become the 2021 City of Culture was given a massive boost last week when the county was featured on BBC1 and Radio 4.

Although presenter Nick Higham pointed out that Herefordshire does not have a strong financial basis for its bid, unlike other cities whose councils are backing them, it stands out because it is a countywide bid.

Herefordshire is a county with a strong heritage and very active cultural community. Hereford College of Arts attracts students from all over the world, The Courtyard Theatre has a great reputation for presenting a wide variety of events and there are many co-operatives, galleries and workshops all over the county.

The Ross Gazette was at the Market House in April when presenter Nick Higham visited to film the artists’ collective Made in Ross, which is based there.

Eleanor Kercher, Chair of Made in Ross, had also been filmed in the garden of her Ross home where she makes things out of green wood on a home-made lathe.

Hereford’s bid to become a City of Culture is being co-ordinated by The Courtyard Theatre and Herefordshire Council and they hope that by involving the whole county they will show that Herefordshire is a great place to work and live and stay.

Ian Archer, the chief executive of Hereford’s Courtyard Arts Centre, said the City of Culture bid would stretch to the very borders of Herefordshire "so we can bring the market towns into the city and take the city out to the market towns".

The BBC film also featured trainee blacksmiths at Hereford College of Art where they are teaching traditional skills in innovative, even radical, new ways. Cidermaking is another traditional Herefordshire activity which will be brought into the 21st centruy with a new project described as ‘a marriage of apples and apps’. Golden Fire, a digital arts project due to launch in June explores Herefordshire’s cider heritage.

Hereford Cathedral and the Three Choirs Festival were also included as 2021, the City of Culture year, will be Hereford’s turn to play host for the prestigious Festival.

Herefordshire is a rural area and Hereford itself is a relatively small place of just 58,000 people. Rival candidates like Coventry, Sunderland and Paisley have spent decades grappling with the consequences of local industries and the social and economic problems that result. Hereford has different issues. The main challenges faced by people living in the county are rural isolation and a very low wage economy.

Eleanor believes that City of Culture status would foster creativity and encourage local people to get involved, she says. "It would make what we’re doing more joined-up and it would give it a higher profile.

"If we are a City of Culture everyone will see what a great place Herefordshire is and they’ll want to come and live here, and work here."

The Courtyard helped broker the deal with Ross Town Council to develop the Market House, with the aim of helping local artists and craftspeople make money from their work. Roger Morgan is the Courtyard’s chairman, and also chair of the group steering the Hereford bid.